Don't Wake Me Up || Septiplier

Chapter Nine

[edited? who knows. I should. I don't. whoops. enjoy!]

I sat on Mark's bed, my body curled up and shaking as I couldn't stop crying. I was safe, at least I think. I'm free. My parents might not beat me anymore.

Mark was unpacking my bag, putting all my belongings away in a bottom drawer of his dresser. He sighed and stood up, walking over towards the bed. Sitting next to me, he wrapped his arms around me and started rubbing his hand up and down my back.

"Sh, it's okay Sean. You're safe now. I promise, nobody will ever hurt you again." I buried my head into his chest and I felt my body yearn for crying more, but I couldn't. I was out of tears.

I tried steadying my breathing, which was much easier with Mark rubbing my back. After a while of silence, I choked out, "Why?"

Mark seemed to know what I meant when I said that. "Sean, I know. You've claimed nobody cares about you, therefore meaning 'I shouldn't care about you.' But Sean, that's completely wrong. People will care about you, they just haven't come into your life. Until now. I care about you more than I should. You have such a strong heart and you seem like such a great person. Sure, you have your bumps and bruises, but that doesn't make you a horrible person. You have a strong heart, I know you do. You just haven't had time to show it."

My eyes had been closed for a bit, listening to what he had said. I don't understand it though. I mean, nobody has cared about me ever. Why did someone suddenly just start caring about me?

Mark's hand came up to my chin, and he lifted my head up to where I could look at him. He then removed my hood from my head and moved my hair out of my face, allowing him to look at me. I had bruises along my cheek and jaw bones, and possibly a black eye. I couldn't tell.

He let out a sound, possibly a sob, but it nearly broke my heart. "I'm sorry..." I whispered.

He furrowed his brows. "Don't you dare apologise! You've caused none of this! You're piece of shit parents and people like Tony caused this! You do not have to be sorry for anything!" He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled my body over to where I was basically sitting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around me in a gentle hug. I knew he was trying not to hurt me with how lightly he was hugging me.

I sniffled lightly and snaked my arms around him slowly. "I am so sorry, Sean. I should've realised it sooner. I should've found you sooner, I could've saved you quicker than I did. I'm sorry."

I buried my head in his chest. "I-It's fine."

He shook his head. "It's not. You know it's not. You're a walking bruise, Sean. You probably have broken bones or something close to that." He lifted my head to make me look at him. "Sean, if you ever need to talk, I am here. Please know that. And if you ever want help, I can help you. Or we can take you somewhere."

"There's no helping a lost cause..." I mumbled.

Mark sighed. "Please. Don't say that. You're not a lost cause. You can not say that about yourself. You're amazing and funny. A tad difficult to get to know, but I know you're amazing." He placed a small kiss on my forehead and gently set me on the bed next to him. "I'm going to go make dinner, do you want to help?"

I shook my head slightly. "I'll let you rest then, okay? But when you wake up, I want you to eat." I shook my head again. "No, Sean. You don't have an option. I can tell by how you look, you don't eat a lot, or nothing at all. You can't do that, you need to eat. And you definitely are not fat. You're a skeleton."

He's lying. I'm fat. Sure, my body is skinny. But to me, I'm fat. And if I eat, I'll become fatter than I already am. "I'm not hungry."

"Sean, stop lying to yourself! I am bringing a plate of food up here when it's done. And you're going to eat at least some of it."

With that, he walked out of the room. I sighed and crawled under the covers. Why. Why is he so nice? It makes no sense.

Before I knew it, I was slowly drifting off to sleep.